Blumenthal Demands Unlawfully Fired CPSC Commissioners be Reinstated

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote to President Donald Trump today demanding that the three Democratic-appointed Commissioners at the independent Consumer Product Safety Commission be reinstated after being unlawfully dismissed by email late last night.

“The decision to fire these Commissioners poses a direct threat to the health and safety of every American and continues a concerning trend of attacks against independent agencies by the Administration,” Blumenthal wrote.

“Independent agencies, like the CPSC, were established by Congress for the very purpose of ensuring unbiased, unpartisan decision-making that prioritizes the long-term interests of the public. These firings run contrary to this goal and represent a blatant partisan attack on an independent agency tasked with a singular goal: putting consumer safety before corporate profits. This decision must be reversed immediately.”

Earlier this week, Blumenthal, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA) led a letter with 21 members of the Senate and 27 members of the House of Representatives calling on Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to reverse plans to eliminate the CPSC. The CPSC is the only government entity tasked with developing and enforcing product safety standards, facilitating recalls of unsafe products, and educating consumers and businesses about product hazards and best practices. The proposal to absorb some of CPSC’s core functions into a nonexistent division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as HHS’ budget is being cut, is unrealistic and threatens public safety. The text of this letter is available here.

The text of today’s letter is available here and copied below.

Dear President Trump:

I am outraged and appalled by recent news that you have fired the Democratic Commissioners serving at the independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). I demand the immediate reversal and full reinstatement of Commissioners Alex Hoehn-Saric, Richard Trumka  Jr., and Mary Boyle.

As you are well aware, there was no legal basis for these firings, as independent Commissioners can only be fired for neglect of duty or malfeasance. It appears that these Commissioners were instead fired for purely political reasons based on their opposition to your Administration’s ill-advised plan to dismantle the CPSC – an independent watchdog protecting families and children from harm caused by consumer products.

Congress created the CPSC more than 50 years ago to protect Americans from injury or death associated with consumer products. The CPSC is responsible for overseeing over 2 trillion in commerce dollars annually and protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death. Their work includes protecting consumers from hazards such as furniture tip-overs, carbon monoxide and lead poisoning, falls, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), flammability and burns, and choking. The sole purpose of the agency is to ensure that the safety of Americans does not come second to a company’s desire to turn a profit. The decision to fire these Commissioners poses a direct threat to the health and safety of every American and continues a concerning trend of attacks against independent agencies by your Administration.

Independent agencies, like the CPSC, were established by Congress for the very purpose of ensuring unbiased, unpartisan decision-making that prioritizes the long-term interests of the public. These firings run contrary to this goal and represent a blatant partisan attack on an independent agency tasked with a singular goal: putting consumer safety before corporate profits. This decision must be reversed immediately.

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